Who is Jesus?

WHO IS JESUS?
While several theological debates exist about who Jesus was (whether he was a simple carpenter or a prophet sent from God) we believe that he is the Son of God, sent to the world to deliver us from sin and death by offering an alternative way of life, a ‘Kingdom-centric’ ideology.

The Bible records that Jesus spent a period of about 33 years on earth, with only the last three of these dedicated to his ministry of salvation. Yet, more than two thousand years on, the impact of those three years is being felt immeasurably, with hundreds of thousands (maybe even millions) added to the Christian faith every year.

Jesus was born into a simple family in the town of Bethlehem in Judea (now Palestine). While the Bible records that his birth was the result of what is known in Christian circles as ‘The Immaculate Conception’ (his mother Mary, a virgin, becoming pregnant by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit), he was brought up in Nazareth, with Joseph, a carpenter, as his recognised father. During his ministry, Jesus healed the sick, gave sight to the blind and stood against the injustices of the teachers of the Law. He taught a message of love, peace, restoration and truth. But Jesus was more than a teacher, a political activist, a preacher, or a healer.

Far more than just an ordinary person, he was the Son of God, born of a human mother through the power of God’s Holy Spirit. He is The Christ (The Messiah) Matthew 4:42.

Where is Jesus now?
Though he ascended to heaven at the end of his earthly mission, Jesus is presently everywhere because he lives in the hearts and minds of the people who have invited him to do so. He is truly an international citizen, equally as well-known and adored in Asia and Africa as he is in Europe and the Americas.

Why do we need Jesus?
We have all fallen short of the required standard, with each of us having repeatedly done things that are wrong – things that have caused hurt to others, or have hurt God. As well as damaging our lives and the lives of people around us, these wrong things (which the Bible calls ‘sins’) separated us from the love of God.

Jesus, a perfect sacrifice because he knew no sin, paid the required price by giving himself in exchange for our sins. Because sin separates us from God, we needed someone to bridge the gap. As Jesus lived amongst us for a time, he understands how we feel and why we do the things we do. Being ‘one with God’, he was able to be that link between us and our Creator. Jesus became the price for our salvation, accepting a cruel and painful death on a cross, with only criminals for company.

Salvation was purchased when he rose from the dead two mornings after, and through his death and resurrection, he set us free from the power of sin, giving us his Holy Spirit to help us live in ways pleasing to God. It was through his humiliation, suffering, and death on the cross that Jesus overcame sin and death and won for us our salvation.

We desire for you to do more than take our word for it, and to investigate for yourself who Jesus really is. We have links to useful resources below, and looking at any page on our site will help you understand better what it means to be a Christian.